Wednesday, February 20, 2008

A beautiful tapestry

This morning, I was thinking about the teaching styles of two different grace teachers. One tends to be direct and to the point. His style is similar to someone who wields a sword in order to cut the shackles and set people free. Shock and awe is another way I would describe his style. I think this is a wonderful style of teaching. In my opinion, we definitely need people who are bold to speak the word of grace without regard to personal consequences.

The other teacher has a teaching style which is more encouraging. Once people have been set free, they are fearful and confused. Even though they are now free, they will often stay in the same place of bondage confused as to what to do next. I see this particular teacher as someone who encourages them to get up and move forward providing support as they grow confident in their grace walk.

In religion, the pastor is viewed as the model for ministry so people tend to copy his style. This tends to produce little clones who all talk alike and act alike. True Christianity, on the other hand, is made up of people with different personalities functioning in different styles of service. No particular personality or style is right since we've all been uniquely created by a Father who loves variety.

As I look at this grace community of bloggers, I am thankful for the variety of styles and temperaments. While I tend to lean towards the simple, others have styles that are different from mine and they all blend together into a beautiful tapestry of love and grace. Father never meant for us to all be the same. While religion encourages cloning, grace gives each of us the freedom to be who we really are.

As someone who for years has struggled to please everyone, it's wonderful to be experiencing the freedom to just be me. To learn to accept myself the way I am is a wonderful gift from Father that I am experiencing more and more as I'm growing more firmly established in grace.

Years ago (too many to talk about), I was at a Christian camp and they asked the question, "What do you want in life ?" I was the hit of the whole camp when I said, "I want to become just like Jesus."I look back now and think how stupid that was (seemed like the thing to want at the time - isn't there something about the Father wanting us to become like Jesus).Yes, Jesus is my life and He lives in me and through me but a huge illumination for me was that He not only lives in me and through me but He does it AS me. WOW!!!!He lives in Aida and through Aida AS Aida. You can be who you are and Jesus will live His life AS you.Talk about being free. I think I read somewhere that Somebody came to set us free.

Very beautiful indeed. :) I've also noticed the different temperaments and focuses of various grace teachers, and I've also come to appreciate the variety, and to be thankful for what the Holy Spirit has taught me through each person.

I think trouble comes when we align ourselves with one particular person (pastor, teacher, etc) or one particular ministry, and block out anyone else or anything else that is said if it goes against what "my" teacher says. I've seen some of that, even within the grace-teaching community, and it saddens me.

But yet the good news is that indeed, there is a beautiful tapestry, and it includes all of us (and not just the big names)! Christ in us, as us, as Bob said. Each of us doing what we do in a unique way, as Bino reminds us. :)

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About Me

Wife, mother and grandmother who is coming to know this wonderful Father who loves us more than we'll ever know. I'm on a journey to discover truth and my passion is to share this truth so that together we might come to experience the fulness of life that Jesus came to give us.